


admirer

by moonjoy



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Airports, F/F, Fluff, Late Night Conversations, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, artist wheein, model hwasa, overall sweet, too fluff to be true, vibing in the airport at 4 a.m.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonjoy/pseuds/moonjoy
Summary: Wheein, a striving artist that is having one of the worst days of her life, waits for her plane to arrive in hope and misery. There, she meets a certain admirer.
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa & Jung Wheein
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	admirer

**Author's Note:**

> This is a oneshot I wrote on Wheein's birthday, but I decided to post it on here too.  
> ×♥×  
> song: honey - kehlani, wheein cover

The once in a lifetime opportunity that made Wheein sit in a urine covered carpet came to her around a year ago.

Wheein drew for as long as she could remember. First, it was doodles on her bedroom walls, then it was small drawings she made in kindergarten that all went up on the refrigerator. Soon, drawing turned into a passion, and she gave the last bits of her remaining time from school to art. Canvases on her lap at three am, drinking from her paint mug instead of her coffee mug, a quiet melody on her earphones. It was her paradise.

She applied for the university far away in the States over a year ago, her hands covered in acrylic paint. She was accepted under one condition. Her talents were recognized by the headquarters of the university, however her portfolio was way smaller than they prefered. They gave Wheein a year to build it up, and an interview to decide if she's getting a scholarship.

_ I'm definitely not getting a scholarship. _

She looked at her ticket that said she should board at five pm, and back at the announcement board that had the words  **delayed** . The staff told her she should be flying in less than two hours, but the clock said otherwise. She simply waited too long to turn back, to give up. 

So, it was art that made her sit next to dog piss.

If there was any seat she could sit, she wouldn't put herself through this torture. But she knew her flight was overbooked for a reason, and no sane person would leave after this much hassle to get in. She clutched her satchel that held her top pieces a little harder. She couldn't miss this interview, not when she worked day and night for her to be sitting miserably at her local airport.

God she hated where her life had led her to be.

She took a peek inside the bag as if it's contents weren't engraved in her mind already. She took one of them out, a portrait of a girl similar to herself, her hair tied up in a low bun. It was almost her self portrait, but she tweaked some details to make it unique. Then there were the two butterflies that were also her tattoos. She remembered taking the canvas to the tattoo parlor and watching the artist struggle. She got her pain, as it was a two day project of hers. She was surprised in the end how accurate it was drawn. 

Her hand went over to her opposite arm where the butterflies were and tears blocked her view. Her art was her everything. It was on her mind, on her soul and on her body. She couldn't wait another year to build up her portfolio anymore, all of her friends were halfway through university already. She felt useless, behind on life. She couldn't go through another year where she was filled with such thoughts. She needed the scholarship. She needed to be on the plane now.

Instead, here she was.

She held herself off for a couple seconds as she moved her art back into her satchel, then let the tears flow. She buried her head onto her crossed arms and let it all out, not like any stranger was going to be bothered by it. Surely they all had their own problems. Darkness of her little hideout crept inside her very soul, all remaining bits of hope being devoured. There was no way she was going to make it. It was hopeless. She was hopeless.

"Are you okay?"

Wheein thought it was her inner voice playing the therapist, but she raised her head to see a woman around her age staring back. Curious, worried. Not at all what Wheein thought she'd see in a stranger. Usually pity would be what everyone had in their eyes.

"Not really." She wiped her eyes with her tattooed hand, and the girl grabbed it midair.

"Holy sh*t, that's so cool!"

The sudden compliment left her speechless. In her lowest mood, she certainly didn't expect an admirer for her art. It felt nice though, felt warm.

"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you." The girl spoke again. "I'll be going if I disturbed you."

Just as she took a step back, Wheein felt like the sudden warmness being ripped away from her. Maybe she needed an admirer right now, however selfish that may sound.

"You can stay, if you want. I'd appreciate some company." She felt needy as the girl sat beside her, but it was her wish to console her, wasn't it? Wheein noticed the expensive fabric of her clothes and the dirty carpet becoming one, and a piece of her soul left her body. "You sure you want to sit down?"

The girl looked around, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Your clothes will get dirty. I've been sitting here for four hours and I'm sure a dog peed here."

"Then why are  _ you _ sitting here?"

"I couldn't care less about dog piss right now."

The girl laughed, in a weirdly similar manner to the people in her hometown. Wheein wondered why she was taken aback, this was a small airport. Though, it was obvious her style was more expensive compared to the locals'. She must have been staring at her outfit while thinking this, because the girl asked;

"Am I a little overdressed?"

"A little." The way the girls' shoulders dropped did something to her, a need to console the stranger arose inside her. "But nobody cares around here. Plus, you look great." 

Blush covered her cheeks, making her beauty all too natural. She had found beauty in something again, after weeks of stress and worry, herbal teas that were more often than not replaced with soju. What was this like, her mind taken aback to the times she'd sketch things out of fun, and not because she had to rush things? Was this all she needed? A fancy stranger offering nothing but a few kind words which could have been said by anyone.

But if it was that easy, why didn't anyone say anything like that to her for months?

"Thank you." The girl replied, nudging Wheein into reality. "What's your name, Ms. Artist?"

"Oh- me?" About to ask the same question, Wheein found herself asking this stupid little one instead. She said her name in a mutter, not realizing that her inner panic was making the stranger laugh. "Wheein, you?"

"I'm Hyejin, don't have to be so shy." She said, reaching out for a playful hit but stopping herself midway. They were still strangers, even though this was in no way how an ordinary stranger acted. They looked like they could talk hours on end, without them getting awkward.

And they did.

"You really have been drawing since you were four? I mean, I drew in my elementary school but in no way I was talented." Hyejin chuckled, pointing at the satchel while her other hand was waving around with her excitement.

Wheein joined right in. "Ah, that's not true. There's no such thing as natural talent. Anyone can draw if they practice enough. Besides, that's not the case with modeling. You can't practice being born pretty." She stared off into the clock, before her words hit her back.  _ Oh god no,  _ she thought to herself, but it was simply too late. The best she could do was to lean in to this new flirty act.

"Wow, and here I thought you were shy." Hyejin said, her body leaning backwards with her mouth half open. 

"Guess I open up when someone is-" She could physically feel the heat in her cheeks, her brain classifying her words as cringy. "Forget it, I can't do this greasy stuff." She laughed her embarrassment away, her eyes darting back up to the clock she was meaning to check for a while now. 

It was 4 a.m.

Officially too late to make it.

Hyejin also looked up to see the time, now realizing what the digital dots mean to the young artist. She saw the droplets of water rushing into her eyes, her lips pursing together. It all called for a dramatic sob and tears that wouldn't stop for another hour. Hyejin was ready to deal with it, she had no rush herself, and she found herself invested in Wheein so much already. At this point, there was no way she was going to let go of Wheein if she cried.

Instead, her cheek muscles relaxed,now forming a small smile. Her tears fell, but not a whimper came out of her. She ruffled her hair, then went on to wipe as much tears as she could. Her face was covered with tears, evenly spreaded out and creating a soft glow.

"I had forgotten why I started drawing." She began. "I didn't do it to fill my portfolio up, not to prove others something or make some radical statement."

Her eyes became all misty again, reminiscing the past.

"I wanted to express myself, make something so when someone sees it, they'll go "So this is how she's like.". But lately, I don't even know how I'm like. I was a machine, I hate being a machine."

"I get that." Hyejin said, not intentionally interrupting her but feeling guilty because of it anyways. "When you burn yourself for the sake of something bigger than yourself, all you become is a burnt match; dark, unusable." Was it the shady airport coffee that made her spurt out poetry, or was it the lack of sleep? 

"That's...a unique way to put it actually." She momentarily caught the flash of dark clouds surrounding the young model, but her own clouds were too blinding for her to spot others'. "I know this sounds stupid, but I, I went back to my childhood today. Simpler times with the purest of feelings. Is this what happens when you lose your mind, Hyejin?"

"No, I don't think so." Hyejin replied honestly. "You're realizing this because now there's no need for you to burn yourself. However harsh this may sound, you lost your chance. But also you don't have to overwork yourself anymore. Depending on which way you look at it-"

"I'm glad." Wheein's smile made her eyes all too smaller, though they shined brighter. "These aren't even the ones I made this year. I wasn't satisfied enough to bring them with me." She pointed at the satchel, hugging it once more.

Hyejin looked down at one of the canvases, painted in bright purple and soft lilac. "I can see that." 

"I just want to say that I'm-"

The speakers blasted out the flight attendant lightly tapping her microphone. "Attention, our two passengers-" 

_ Two passengers? _

As if waking up from a fever dream, Wheein snapped upright from her sleepy position to see all the metal seats empty. They were alone.

"-the plane is now ready for takeoff."

The woman, across the hall, smiled at the two while whispering to her colleague about how strong their friendship must have been. Both of them heard it loud and clear, because the microphone was still on and getting full signal. Hyejin pointed at the mic and they started laughing again.

"So, shall we go?" Hyejin also stood up and extended her hand for Wheein to take. Wheein was fixed to her position.

"What am I even going to do?"

Hyejin almost scoffed, but held herself. "Not everyday you go to America! There's stuff to do there besides going on university interviews. I'll let you come to the photoshoot too, just-".

Was she begging?

"I also felt it. That light feeling when we sat around like idiots. We're strangers, I know, but I can't let you walk away when you came this far. Just come, I'll even leave you alone if you want."

Wheein didn't know what Hyejin expected her to do, but words barely had meaning anymore, so she was incapable of making good speeches. She grabbed her satchel and her backpack, then put her hand on top of hers.

"Idiot." She said. "Why would I ever want you to go?"


End file.
